U.S. patent number 3,818,521 [Application Number 05/312,038] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-25 for mattress cover construction.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Richard's Quality Bedding Company. Invention is credited to Carl H. Richards, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,818,521 |
Richards, Jr. |
June 25, 1974 |
MATTRESS COVER CONSTRUCTION
Abstract
A flexible, fire resistant mattress cover construction having a
layer of padding material, one surface of which is covered by a
layer of normally flammable cloth material and a layer of heat
conducting metallic foil located between the padding material and
the cloth material. The foil serves to prevent the flammable cloth
material from bursting into flame when the cloth material is
subjected to temperatures above the level at which combustion would
normally occur by conducting the heat away from the location of
application of heat to the cloth material.
Inventors: |
Richards, Jr.; Carl H. (Grand
Rapids, MI) |
Assignee: |
Richard's Quality Bedding
Company (Grand Rapids, MI)
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Family
ID: |
26927502 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/312,038 |
Filed: |
December 4, 1972 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
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234043 |
Mar 13, 1972 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
5/698; 5/739;
297/DIG.5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B68G
7/10 (20130101); A47C 31/001 (20130101); Y10S
297/05 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B68G
7/00 (20060101); A47C 27/00 (20060101); B68G
7/10 (20060101); A47c 027/00 (); A47c 031/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;5/347,355,361,361B,345R,361R ;297/DIG.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Gilliam; Paul R.
Assistant Examiner: Calvert; Andrew M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Woodhams, Blanchard & Flynn
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending
application Ser. No. 234,043, filed Mar. 13, 1972, and entitled
"Mattress Cover Construction."
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. In a mattress having a relatively thick internal support
structure and upper and lower coverings superimposed on and
coextensive with the respective upper and lower surfaces of said
support structure and fixed relative thereto, comprising the
improvement wherein said upper covering includes:
a relatively thick layer of flexible and flammable padding
positioned adjacent and overlying the upper surface of said support
structure;
a thin sheet of flexible heat conducting metallic foil positioned
adjacent and substantially coextensively overlying the upper
surface of said layer of padding;
a thin layer of a resilient foam material positioned adjacent and
substantially coextensively overlying the upper surface of said
sheet of foil, said foil being sandwiched between said padding and
said foam material; and
a thin sheet of flexible flammable cloth positioned adjacent and
substantially coextensively overlying the upper surface of said
layer of foam material, said sheet of cloth comprising the external
ticking of said mattress;
whereby said sheet of foil diffuses concentrations of heat as
applied to said cloth.
2. A mattress according to claim 1, further including a thin layer
of flexible fabric bonded to one side of said foil.
3. A mattress according to claim 2, wherein said thin layer of
fabric as bonded to said foil is positioned between said foil and
the adjacent surface of said padding means.
4. A mattress according to claim 2, wherein said thin layer of foam
material has a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch.
5. A mattress according to claim 1, wherein said foam layer is of a
flammable material and has a thickness approximately within the
range of between 1/8 inch and 1/2 inch.
6. A mattress according to claim 1, further including a side
covering surrounding the side of said support structure and
extending substantially perpendicularly between said upper and
lower coverings, said side covering being of a layered structure
identical to said upper covering.
7. A mattress according to claim 6, wherein said upper and side
coverings have coextensive edge portions disposed directly adjacent
and fixedly connected to one another, and means coacting with said
edge portions for making same fire resistant, said last-mentioned
means comprising elongated strip means extending coextensively with
the edge portions, said strip means having an elongated strip of
heat conductive metal foil associated therewith.
8. A mattress according to claim 1, wherein said lower covering is
of a layered structure identical to said upper covering.
9. In a mattress having a relatively thick internal support
structure and upper and lower coverings superimposed on and
coextensive with the respective upper and lower surfaces of said
support structure and fixed relative thereto, comprising the
improvement wherein said upper covering includes:
a relatively thick layer of flexible and flammable padding
positioned adjacent and coextensively overlying the upper surface
of said support structure;
a thin, flexible, fire resistant, laminated layer positioned
adjacent and substantially coextensively overlying the upper
surface of said layer of padding, said laminated layer including a
thin sheet of flexible heat conducting metallic foil substantially
coextensively overlying said layer of padding; and
said laminated layer further including a thin layer of flexible
flammable fabric positioned adajcent and substantially
coextensively overlying said sheet of metallic foil, said layer of
flexible fabric being bonded to said sheet of metallic foil;
whereby said sheet of foil diffuses concentrations of heat for
preventing burning of said padding.
10. A mattress according to claim 9, further including a thin sheet
of flexible flammable cloth positioned adjacent and substantially
coextensively overlying said laminated layer so that said laminated
layer is disposed between said cloth and said padding, said cloth
comprising the external ticking of said mattress.
11. A mattress according to claim 10, further including a thin
layer of resilient and flammable foam material positioned adjacent
and substantially coextensively overlying the upper surface of said
laminated layer, said thin layer of resilient foam material being
positioned between said laminated layer and said cloth.
12. A mattress according to claim 9, wherein said thin layer of
flexible fabric comprises a flammable cloth which constitutes the
external ticking of said mattress, and said sheet of metallic foil
being positioned between said external ticking and said layer of
padding.
13. A mattress according to claim 9, further including a side
covering disposed around the side of said support structure and
extending substantially perpendicularly between said upper and
lower coverings, said side covering having the opposite edges
thereof fixedly connected to respective edges of said upper and
lower covering, and said lower and side coverings each being of a
layered structure identical to said upper covering.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a flexible, fire resistant fabric
construction and, more particularly, to a flexible, fire resistant
mattress cover.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
There has been an alarming number of deaths each year caused by
smokers falling to sleep in bed while having a lit cigarette in
their mouth or in their hand. After the smoker has fallen to sleep,
the cigarette usually falls onto the bedding igniting same, and
thereafter igniting the mattress causing the smoker to be severely
burned, sometimes fatally. Many efforts have been made to make the
mattress covering fire resistant but the resulting fabric
construction has not been entirely appealing from the standpoint of
appearance and saleability. Further, the resulting fabric
construction has been expensive to manufacture thereby resulting in
a more expensive mattress construction and thereby diminishing the
saleability of the final product.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a
flexible, fire resistant fabric which is capable of utilizing
material which would be normally flammable and, therefore, to
thereby permit the use of decorative fabrics which are appealing to
the eye and enhance the saleability of the finished product.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible,
fire resistant fabric which can be utilized as a mattress covering
and which can withstand the temperature of a lighted cigarette
laying on the surface thereof without causing the normally
flammable fabric material to ignite.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible,
fire resistant covering which can be used as a mattress covering
and which will withstand the high temperatures of a lighted
cigarette laying on the surface thereof to thereby prevent an
ignition of the normally flammable cloth covering material even
adjacent a thread pattern which has been utilized to provide
tufts.
Other objects and purposes of this invention will be apparent to
persons acquainted with mattress constructions of this general type
upon reading the following specification and inspecting the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a partially sectioned perspective illustration of a
mattress construction embodying the invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 located by the circle "A"
therein.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 similar to FIG. 2 and
showing a modified foil construction.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 similar to FIG. 2 and
showing a further modified foil construction.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 1 similar to FIG. 2 and
showing a still further modified foil construction.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line VI--VI of
FIG. 1.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 6 and showing
an alternate edge connection.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 6 and showing
an alternate edge connection.
FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of another
embodiment of the mattress construction according to the present
invention.
FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view similar to FIG. 6 and
illustrating therein an edge connection for the mattress
construction illustrated in FIG. 9.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In general, the objects and purposes of the invention are met by
providing a flexible, fire resistant, fabric having a thick layer
of padding material covered by a layer of normally flammable cloth
material and a layer of heat conducting metallic foil located
between the padding material and the cloth material. The foil
serves to prevent the flammable cloth material from bursting into
flame when the cloth material is subjected to temperatures at which
combustion would normally occur by conducting the heat away from
the location of application of heat to the cloth material.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a thin layer of a
resilient foamed material, such as either foamed plastic or rubber
material, is disposed between the cloth cover layer and the
metallic foil layer for dampening substantially all of the noise
generated by the foil layer during utilization of the mattress.
Further, the foil layer is preferably provided with a thin nonwoven
layer of fabric bonded thereto for increasing the strength of the
foil and for minimizing the noise generated by the foil.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The development disclosed hereinbelow arose out of a need for a
fire resistant material for covering the internal structure of a
mattress. Accordingly, the following discussion will describe the
development in a mattress covering environment. However, it is to
be recognized that the covering material can be used on other
products, such as upholstered chairs and the like, and the
discussion pertaining to a use on a mattress is not to be
considered limiting.
Referring to FIG. 1, the mattress 10 has a covering 14 including a
plurality of sidewalls, two sidewalls 11 and 12 of which are
illustrated in FIG. 1, a top wall 13 and a bottom wall (not
illustrated). The construction for the top wall 13, as well as the
sidewalls 11 and 12, comprises a thin mesh or netting 16 having
padding material 17 disposed adjacent the outer surface thereof.
The padding material 17 may be of any conventional type, such as a
cotton material or a foam rubber or plastic material to name a few.
The outer surface of the padding material is covered by a laminated
fabric construction 20 comprising a sheet of heat conducting
metallic foil 18 and a layer of normally flammable cloth material
19 bonded to the outer surface thereof. The cloth material 19,
normally referred to as the ticking of a mattress, may be secured
to the foil 18 by any conventional material, such as an adhesive.
The netting 16, padding 17 and laminate 20 are usually held
together by conventional stitching or tufting.
The foil 18 (FIG. 2) may be any conventional, thin and heat
conducting metal, such as aluminum. In one set of tests, the
aluminum sheet had a thickness of 0.003 of an inch. However,
thicknesses somewhat larger and smaller than 0.0003 of an inch are
believed to be acceptable. The foil, in a first embodiment, is
relatively flat and smooth as illustrated in FIG. 2. Alternatively,
a modified form of the foil 18A (FIG. 4) can be flat and smooth but
having a plurality of regularly spaced perforations 21, which may
be formed by a punching or perforating operation. The perforations
permit the covering laminate to breathe and thereby provide for air
circulation in the space between the user's body and the laminate.
This prevents perspiration. However, the diameter of the openings
must be minimized to prevent enough air from passing through the
openings to support a blaze. In other words, the effectiveness of
the foil to prevent flames is not noticeably reduced by the
provision of regularly spaced or randomly spaced small openings in
the foil. The diameter of the perforations is preferably in the
approximate range of 1/64 of an inch to one-eighth of an inch. In
one preferred embodiment, the spacing between the openings was
about one-fourth of an inch. However, it will be seen that the
spacing between adjacent holes can be increased as the hole size
increases while maintaining the same air flow capability through
the foil. Also, it was observed that better flexibility was
provided in the foil by using a greater number of small holes,
provided that enough stock remained to effect satisfactory heat
conduction.
A still further modified form of the foil 18B (FIG. 3) is crumpled
or wrinkled so that it has a plurality of ridges 22 and crevices 23
and a plurality of randomly spaced openings 24 therein. The random
nature of the openings 24 is caused by the process in which the
foil 18B becomes crumpled and they occur where the foil is stressed
beyond a tolerable limit. Alternatively, a modified embodiment of
the foil 18C (FIG. 5) is crumpled in the same manner as described
for the embodiment of the foil 18B in FIG. 3, but it has a
plurality of regularly spaced openings 21C similar to those
illustrated in FIG. 4.
The embodiment of FIG. 5 can be used when the process by which the
foil 18C is crumpled does not produce sufficient randomly arranged
openings therein, as with the foil 18B illustrated in FIG. 3, or
where the spacing between the random openings is too great and
additional openings are desired.
The foil constructions 18, 18A, 18B and 18C are satisfactorily
produCed from an aluminum foil having a thickness of about 0.0003
of an inch.
Preferably, the crumpled foil in FIGS. 3 and 5 is bonded to the
cloth material 19 while the foil is still flat and smooth. This
will assure that the entire surface of the foil will adhere to the
adjacent surface of the cloth. Thereafter, the laminated material
20 can be fed between a pair of pressure applying rollers, at least
one of which is a textured roller whereby the foil is effectively
wrinkled. If desired, the textured roller may also have pins
thereon for perforating the foil as same passes thereover.
When it is desired to secure the top wall 13 (FIG. 6) of the
mattress covering 14, for example, to a sidewall 12, wherein both
the top wall 13 and the sidewall 12 comprise a netting 16, padding
material 17 and a laminate 20, the two mutually adjacent edge
portions 30 may be fastened together by an appropriate stitching
26. The meeting edge portions 30 of the top wall and sidewall may
be further secured and protected by an elongated strip of laminated
edging material 27 comprising an elongated strip of cloth 28
laminated to a strip of metallic foil, as in the laminate 20 of the
mattress covering 14. The foil 29 may be identical in thickness to
the foil 18 on the top laminate 20.
The elongated edging strip 27 covers the free edge portions 30 of
the joined top wall 13 and the sidewall 12 to prevent an exposure
of the padding material 17 to a temperature which is higher than
the temperature at which combustion would occur if the free edge
portions were exposed.
Other types of connections along the mutually adjacent edges of the
top wall, bottom wall and the sidewalls of the mattress cover may
be provided as long as the padding material, which is exposed
adjacent the edges 30, has a foil covering. For example, the
conventional French seam 33 (FIG. 7) has its adjacent edge portions
tucked in and then stitched together. Thus, the foil backing 18A on
the laminate 20A of the top wall 13A and sidewall 12A automatically
permits both the cloth material 19A and the padding 17A to
withstand temperatures which are above the permissible level,
namely, the level at which the cloth and padding normally become
combustible.
The conventional welted connection 36 (FIG. 8) can be used as long
as the welt cord cover has a foil backing 34. The remainder of this
connection is substantially identical with the French seam.
The aforedescribed mattress covering is extremely effective in
preventing the normally flammable cloth material 19 from bursting
into flame when exposed to temperatures which are above a level at
which combustion would normally occur if the foil layer 18 were not
bonded to the undersurface of the cloth. Bonding of the foil to the
undersurface of the cloth material 19 not only diffuses heat
quickly, but also prevents the development of an air pocket between
the cloth material 19 and the foil 18 when the combined materials
are flexed. This prevents the supply of a draft through the cloth
and thereby prevents the cloth material from bursting into flames.
Instead, the cloth material merely chars if, for example, a burning
cigarette is laid on the surface thereof. The mattress cover
construction described hereinabove is also very effective in
preventing the cloth material 19 from bursting into flame at the
location of tufting 31, as illustrated in FIG. 1.
The mattress cover construction 10 may be assembled by utilizing
conventional stitching which thereby avoids the expense of a
special mattress construction. It is unnecessary to treat the cloth
chemically so that it is nonflammable. Thus, the cloth material 19
can be of any conventional type normally used in present mattress
constructions, thereby maintaining a more attractive appearance.
Also, the metal foil behind the cover cloth tends to make the
colors more vivid in said cloth.
A laminate 20 having the foils 18 and 18A, illustrated in FIGS. 2
and 4, respectively, produces a sound when it is flexed. It has
been discovered that this sound may be substantially reduced to an
acceptable level, if not eliminated, by crumpling the foil
according to the aforedescribed embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 5. The
crumpled foil thus produces a more desirable mattress cover from
the standpoint of sound.
The flexible fabric mattress covering described hereinabove is very
effective in preventing an ignition of the normally flammable cloth
material 19 when a cigarette is laid thereon. The burning portion
of a cigarette is normally at a temperature of about 500.degree.F
and it has been found that the metallic heat conducting foil bonded
to the under surface of the cloth material 19 serves to conduct the
heat away from the area at which the burning portion of the
cigarette is in contact. Thus, the cigarette will burn up
completely without causing the cover cloth 19 to burst into
flame.
It will be recognized that the concepts disclosed above can be
applied to uses other than mattress covers. For example, the foil
in any of its disclosed forms could be laminated between the vinyl
layer and the cloth backing layer of the fabric used in chairs,
automobile seats and the like.
MODIFICATION
FIG. 9 illustrates therein a modified mattress construction
according to the present invention which is similar to the mattress
construction illustrated in FIG. 1 so that corresponding parts of
the construction illustrated in FIG. 9 have been identified by the
same reference numeral utilized in the construction illustrated in
FIG. 1 except that the numerals have been additionally
distinguished by the addition of a prime (') thereto.
Referring specifically to FIG. 9, there is illustrated a mattress
construction 10' which includes a conventional internal coil spring
structure 41 surrounded by a covering which includes top and bottom
walls and a plurality of sidewalls in a conventional manner, only
the top wall 13' being illustrated in FIG. 9. The top wall 13' is
provided with a rather thick layer of flexible padding material
17', which padding material is a conventional flammable material
such as cotton, foam rubber, foam plastic or the like. The layer of
padding material 17', in the illustrated embodiment, is divided
into superimposed outer and inner sublayers 17A and 17B,
respectively, whicch sublayers are separated by a thin flexible
mesh or netting 16'. A further thin flexible mesh or netting 16"
bounds the inner surface of the inner sublayer 17B.
The padding material 17' is covered by a multilaYer covering 42
which is designed to prevent itself from bursting into flames, and
is also effective for preventing burning of the padding material
17' by preventing flames and/or excessive heat from being
transmitted thereto. The covering 42 includes a sheet of heat
conducting metallic foil 18' positioned so as to totally overlap
the layer of padding material 17'. The foil 18' is preferably
provided with a thin reinforcement layer 43 bonded to the
undersurface thereof, which reinforcement layer 43 is disposed so
as to directly engage the outer surface of the padding material
17'. The reinforcement layer 43 preferably comprises a thin
nonwoven fabric. The fabric layer 43 generally has a thickness no
greater, and preferably less, than the thickness of the foil
18'.
The covering 42 further includes a thin layer of a flexible and
resilient flammable foam 44, such as rubber or plastic foam, which
layer is positioned directly on top of and is substantially
coextensive with the layer of foil 18'. The foam layer 44 may have
a thickness lying generally within the range of between 1/8 to 1/2
inch, and preferably has a thickness of approximately 1/4 inch. The
foam layer 44 is in turn covered by an outer covering layer of
cloth material 19', which layer 19' is conventionally referred to
as the ticking. The ticking 19' is superimposed and substantially
coextensive with the foam layer 44 and defines the outer surface of
the mattress. The covering 42 may be fixedly secured to the
underlying layer of padding material 17' in a conventional manner,
as by tufting or stitching. FIG. 9 illustrates the use of stitching
46 for fixedly securing the outer covering 42 to the outermost
layer of padding 17a.
While the description as set forth above relates to the top wall
13', it will be recognized that the sidewalls (not shown) of the
mattress will be of similar construction so as to provide the
desired fire resistance.
The meeting edge portions of the top wall and sidewalls of the
mattress construction illustrated in FIG. 9 may again be secured
and protected by the formation of an edge similar to the
construction illustrated in FIG. 6, which edge as it relates to the
mattress construction of FIG. 9 is illustrtated in FIG. 10. The
meeting edge portions 30' of the top wall and sidewall, and
specifically the meeting edge portions of the covering 42, are
positioned mutually adjacent one another and may be fastened
together by appropriate stitching 26'. The meeting edge portions
30' may be further secured and protected by an elongated strip of
laminated edging material 27' which again comprises a thin strip of
metallic foil 47, which foil may be identical in thickness to the
foil 18'. The strip of foil 47 preferably has a thin reinforcement
layer of a fabric material bonded to the opposite sides thereof. In
the illustrated embodiment, layers of fabric 48 and 49 are bonded
to the opposite sides of the foil strip 47. The fabric layers 48
and 49 are both preferably of a thin non-woven fabric and are thus
substantially identical to the fabric layer 43 as described
above.
The mattress construction 10' as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10 is
highly desirable since the provision of the fabric layer 43 bonded
to the undersurface of the foil 18' substantially minimizes the
noise generated by the foil. At the same time, the fabric layer, by
being bonded to the foil, substantially increases the strength of
the foil and particularly prevents breakage or splitting of the
foil due to continual flexing of the foil during utilization of the
mattress. Still further, the provision of the thin foam layer 44
greatly minimizes and substantially eliminates the noise generated
by the foil since the foam layer effectively dampens any noise
generated by the foil and prevents transmission of the noise
exteriorly of the mattress. At the same time, even though the foam
44 is a flammable material, nevertheless it has been experimentally
determined that the thinness of the foam 44, and its disposition
immediately over the foil 18', effectively prevents the
transmission of excessive heat and flames to the padding 17', while
at the same time the ticking 19' and the foam 44 themselves do not
burst into flames. In fact, it has been experimentally determined
that the covering 42 as illustrated in FIG. 9 is very effective in
preventing an ignition of the normally flammable cloth material 19'
and foam 44 when a cigarette is laid directly on the material 19'.
While a cigarette laid directly on the ticking 19' does cause a
burning of the ticking 19' and foam 44 directly in the vicinity of
the cigarette, nevertheless it has been determined that the
cigarette will burn up completely without causing either the cover
material 19' or foam 44 to burst into flames. Rather, the ticking
19' and foam 44 merely char in the immediate vicinity of the
cigarette. Further, the foil 18' prevents the cigarette from
causing the padding 17' from bursting into flames.
Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have
been disclosed in detail for illustrative purposes, it will be
recognized that variations or modifications of the disclosed
apparatus, including the rearrangement of parts, lie within the
scope of the present invention.
* * * * *